Coil winding machine with automatic coil-exchanging and yarn-tying devices



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y V V v 1 1 31 331 lQl- Nov. 19, 1963 w. REINERS ETAL COIL WINDING MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC COIL-EXCHANGING AND YARN-TYING DEVICES Fil'ed Nov. 1'7. 1961 Nov. 19, 1963 w. REINERS ETAL 3,111,280

L-EXCHANGING COIL WINDING MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC COI AND YARN-TYING DEVICES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 17, 1961 'NOV- 1963 w. REINERS ETAL ,280

COIL WINDING MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC COIL-EXCHANGING Filed Nov. 1'7, 196].

AND YARN-TYING DEVICES I 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 19,1963 w. REINERS ETAL 3,111,230

COIL WINDING MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC COIL-EXCHANGING AND YARN-TYING DEVICES Filed Nov. 17. 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 w. REINERS ETAL 3,111,280 c011. WINDING MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC COIL-EXCHANGING Nov. 19, 1963 AND YARN-TYING DEVICES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 1'7, 1961 United States Patent 3,111,280 COIL WINDING MACHINE WETH AUTGMATEC gfijlgEXCfiANGmG AND YARN-TYENG DE- Walter Reiners, Peter-Nonnenmuhlen-Allee 54, and Stefan Fiirst, both of Monchen-Gladhaeh, Germany, and Manfred Riihl, deceased, late of Rheydt, Germany, by Marilene Riihl, representative, Fronherg, near Schwandorf, Gherpfalz, Germany; said Marilene Riihl and said Stefan Fill-st assignors to said Walter Reiners Filed Nov. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 153,244 Claims priority, application Germany Aug. 19, 1957 15 tllaims. (Cl. 2 .2-35.5)

Our invention relates to yarn coil winding machines with automatic coil-exchanging and yarn-tying devices. Such machines are used in textile manufacture for producing relatively large bodies of yarn, such as crosswound coils or cheese, from a number of relatively small yarn-supply coils such as the spinning cops as they come from the spinning machines.

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No. 808,381, filed August 19, 1958, now abandoned, and assigned to the assignee of the present application. Other related copending applications of the same assignee which may be referred to for a better understanding of the state of the art and for a further description of certain elements of the machines described herein are:

Serial No. 704,755, filed December 23, 1957, now Patent Serial No. 728,139, filed April 14, 1958;

Serial No. 15,503, filed March 6, 1960, now Patent No.

Serial No. 35,960, filed June 14, 1960.

Such a coil winding machine, which may be equipped with a large number of individually operating winding stations mounted on a single machine frame structure, must be provided with automatic devices which, in response to depletion of the yarn coming from a supply coil, stop the winder drive, then dofi the depleted coil or its empty core and then substitute a new, full supply coil. Before the winding of the large yarn package can continue, the yarn end of the new supply coil must be seized and must be transferred to a tying device or knotter where this end is tied together with the yarn end coming from the package to be wound. The yarn seizing, transferring and tying operations require that a certain length of yarn be readily available from the new supply coil. It is, therefore, desirable to have a certain amount of yarn contained in a so-called reserve winding located on a given place of the supply coil where the yarn can most readily be found and seized for transfer to the tying device. In the case of spinning cops or other supply coils when yarn is to be unwound over the tip of the coil, the reserve winding is most suitably located on the tip of the coil core so that it can be wound olf while rotating about the tip of the supply coil without causing the occurrence of excessive loops.

For securing the just-mentioned operation subsequent to insertion of a full supply coil and prior to the winding operation proper, some preparatory work is necessary. This is because the supply coils, particularly cops as they come from the spinning machine, do not normally have the above-mentioned reserve winding available at the tip or other proper location. Each spinning cop, therefore, must first be processed by unwinding a certain length of yarn from the body of yarn and then rewinding this length of yarn back onto the cop at the desired location. Such preparatory work can be done by hand, but is preferably effected on a readying device such as those disclosed in the copending applications Serial No. 750,-

i Patented Nov. 19, 1963 373, filed July 23, 1958, now Patent No. 3,043,529, or Serial No. 750,381, filed July 23, 1958, now Patent No. 3,031,149.

It is an object of our invention to devise a yarn winding machine in which the preparatory processing of the yarn-supply coil is automatically performed as an operation inherent in the machine performance and in which further the coil-readying operations are executed more economically and by devices of greatly minimized space requirements as compared with the readying equipment designed and employed in the manner previously disclosed.

To this end, and in accordance with a feature of our invention, we interpose a coil-readying station between the coil supply means, such as a magazine or supply conveyor, of a winding machine and a feeder conveyor that extends from the readying station to the winding station or, preferably, along a number of individual winding stations so that each winding station, upon depletion of a supply coil, is furnished from the feeder conveyor with a new coil in ready condition.

According to another feature of the invention, we provide control means that operate the readying station in dependence upon the occurrence of vacancies on the feeder conveyor so that the readying station always tends to operate in accordance with the total demand of the winding station or stations served thereby.

The invention will be further described with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a multi-station winding machine according to the invention.

FIG. 1a is an enlarged elevation view showing details of the readying device and transfer mechanisms of FIG. 1, but viewed from the rear.

FIG. 2 is a lateral view of an individual winding station of the same machine.

FIG. 2a shows a detail of the cooperating surface of the trough closure member on the conveyor, and of the arm which actuates it.

FIG. 3 is a modified embodiment of such a winding station.

FIG. 3a shows in cross section a plan view of nose engaging feeler lever and the nose on the conveyor trough.

FIG. 3b is a perspective view of the nose-engaging feeler lever.

FIG. 4 illustrates on larger scale a detail of FIG. 2, representing essentially a yarn-end seeking and testing device.

1G. 5 illustrates another detail of FIGS. 2 and 4.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are explanatory illustrations showing respectively an empty core of a cop, a cop as it comes from the spinning machine, and a cop as it comes from the readying device in a machine according to the invention.

FIGS. 9 to 11 show part of a readying device in three different steps of operation, such device forming a component of the machines illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, FIG. 10 being an elevation view, partially in section, of the device of FIG. 9, and showing the means for operating the flap and tubular member.

FIG. 12 shows a detail of the readying device in accordance with FIG. 1, but on larger scale.

FIG. 13 is a schematic top view of the same readying device.

FIG. 14 is an end view taken from the left along line XIV-XIV of FIG. 1 and illustrates the chutes for carrying the coil from the readying device to the conveying device.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary section taken along line XVXV of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 16 is a partial view of a section taken along line XVI-XVI of FIG. 13.

The illustrated embodiments, described hereinafter, relate to multi-station winding machines for producing cross-wound yarn packages from spinning cops. It should be understood, however, that the invention is equally well suitable for winding machines that produce differently shaped yarn packages from other types of supply coils.

Referring first to explanatory FIGS. 6 to 8, the spinning cops shown in the various other illustrations have each a body of yarn wound onto a tubular elongated core or quill C as shown in FIG. 6. When the cops come from the spinning machine, a body of yarn D is wound onto the core C as shown in FIG. 7. The body of yarn forms a conical portion E near the tip T of the core. From conical portion E, the last length of yarn extends in a few steeply pitched turns G about the periphery of the yarn body D. The yarn may then simply terminate into an end close to the periphery of yarn body D; but in many cases the final portion of yarn is wound up in a few turns I on the foot portion H of the core from which the ultimate end may extend as shown at L. The inner end M of the yarn also extends away from the foot portion H and passes out from beneath the body of yarn D.

Regardless of whether or not the final winding I on the core foot H is present, it is desirable, for facilitating the initiation of the subsequent rewinding operations, to have a reserve winding of yarn located on a predetermined other locality of the cop, preferably on the tip T. This not only contributes to rapid and reliable starting of the following winding operation which involves pulling the yarn over the tip of the coil, but also prevents the two yarn ends L and M (FIG. 7) from becoming entangled, which would prevent or impair the further use of the cop.

In a readying device as described hereinafter, the yarn end L and the surface portion G of the yarn are pulled off or unwound, and this amount of yarn is subsequently wound back onto the tip T of the cop thus forming a tipbunch or reserve winding as shown at N in FIG. 8.

The readying device, which removes the winding turns I (FIG. 7) from the foot or which in any event forms the reserve winding N (FIG. 8) on the tip, may receive the spinning cops to be processed from a suitable supply conveyor, such as an endless belt. Generally, however, it is preferable to provide for this purpose a collecting magazine which issues the individual cops to the readying device proper while these cops are arranged in a given, preferably horizontal, direction.

As mentioned, the cops when in ready condition, pass onto a feeder conveyor which offers them sequentially to the individual winding stations of the machine. After a supply coil in any one of the winding stations thus serviced becomes depleted, a sensing member in that particular winding station controls the feeder conveyor to issue one of the ready cops just passing by. After the cop enters into the coil winding station, the yarn-end seeking and conveying means in the station start operating to dissolve the reserve winding from the tip of the cop, and then convey the released length of yarn to the knotter whereafter the winding of the desired large yarn package is commenced or continued by unwinding the yarn from the cop.

It may happen, however, that the devices in the station do not succeed in dissolving the reserve winding or in properly seizing the yarn. Then the winding station would have to remain stopped until the attending personnel notices the fault.

In order to prevent or minimize such stoppage, and in accordance with another feature of our invention, we provide a checking device which, before the cop passes from the feeder conveyor onto the coil-holding means of a winding station, tests the cop for presence of yarn and which initiates the further processing of the cop only if yarn is found to be located at the proper place.

According to a further, more specific feature of the invention, we provide a trough-shaped slideway or other coil-retaining structure intermediate the feeder conveyor and the coil-holder means of the winding station proper; and we permit the intermediate retaining structure to be occupied by a coil taken from the feeder conveyor while another coil is being unwound in the winding station. A yarn-entraining mechanism then operates to seek the yarn end of the coil thus held in readiness; and the abovementioned checking device is so designed that it responds to the yarn end of the coil thus held in readiness; and the above-mentioned checking device is so designed that it responds to the yarn end of the coil thus kept on the retaining structure, but only if the yarn end is properly found and taken off by the entrainer mechanism. Only then does the checking device subsequently cause the coil to pass onto the coil holder of the winding station. But if the yarn end is not properly seized by the entrainer mechanism, the checking device initiates another yarnseeking operation of that mechanism and so forth until the yarn is properly located and seized, or until a given number of repetitions of the seeking operation, for exam ple three, fail to properly seize the yarn. In the latter case, according to still another feature of the invention, an automatic device is actuated which takes the coil out of the operating sequence and passes it into a collecting container for defective coils. It is further preferable to provide stop means that automatically discontinue the repetition of the yarn-seeking operation as soon as the yarn of the coil on the intermediate retaining structure is properly located and seized.

According to further features of our invention, a coil leaving the intermediate retaining structure either by passing onto the coil holder of the winding station proper or by being discarded as faulty, directly controls the issuance of a new coil from the feeder conveyor onto the intermediate holding structure. This can be effected by means of a feeler which cooperates vwith the coil located in the ready position on the intermediate retaining structure, and which can move as soon as the coil leaves the ready position, whereby the feeler causes the feeder conveyor to dispense a new coil. However, it is also possible to provide the intermediate retaining structure with a weighing scale which responds to the reduction in weight caused when the coil passes oi the structure, thus causing the issuance of a new coil from the feeder conveyor. A further way of initiating the issuance of a new coil from the feeder conveyor is to control such issuance in dependence upon the automatic exchange of the supply coil in the winding station.

As mentioned above, the yarn end of a coil located on the intermediate retaining structure and to be subsequently passed onto the coil holder of the winding station proper, is sought and seized by an entrainer mechanism. This mechanism is preferably provided with a suction nozzle for catching and entraining the yarn end. However, the yarn entrainer mechanism may also consist, or form part of, the same conveying device which subsequently passes the yarn end to the knotter of the winding station, thus minimizing the number of structural elements and, when using air suction devices, also reducing the consumption of suction air.

By virtue of the above-described features, the entire yarn-seeking and seizing operation can be carried out while the preceding supply coil is being unwound in the winding station so that a new coil is completely ready for operation on the intermediate holding structure as soon as the unwindin operation of the preceding supply coil is terminated; and this is so even if several repetitions of the yarn-seeking operation are required or if it was necessary to discard one or more coils whose yarn end could not be properly located and seized. As a result, a considerable increase in efiiciency of the winding machine operation as a Whole is secured.

The multi-station Winding machine illustrated in FIG. 1 has a frame structure provided with a standard 1 which carries an inclined table 2. Magazine containers 3 and 4, each containing a number of spinning cops K, are placed upon the table and are each subdivided into a number of vertical chambers, the cops being vertically piled up in each chamber so that the cop axes extend substantially horizontally. The upper portion of the inclined table is provided with a chute 5 through which the cops may individually pass from an opening in the bottom of a magazine chamber so as to drop into a given position K within a readying device denoted in FIG. 1 as a whole by 6 and more fully described in a later place with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13.

In the readying device 6, a length of yarn is first wound 011 the cop located at K and is subsequently rewound onto the cop to form a reserve winding on the tip as is explained above with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. From the readying device, the processed cop enters onto a feeder conveyor 7 consisting of an endless chain provided with a number of troughs 7a (FIG. 2) for receiving the ready cop as shown at K (FIGS. 1, 2). The conveyor '7 passes along the individual winding stations to supply them with cops wherever needed and is trained at one end about a shaft 38 journalled at 38:: and 38b (FIGS. 1, 14) on the machine standard 1.

The readying device 6 is controlled by a feeler 9 (FIGS. 1, 13) rotatable about a pivot at 9a. The feeler 9, further described below, checks each passing trough 7a of the feeder conveyor 7 as to whether the trough just located beneath the readying station is occupied by a cop K If no copy is present, the feeler 9 can rotate counterclockwise and thus releases the drive mechanism of the readying station. This swings a lever 1107 (F168. 1, 12, 13) to cause a pusher 10 to push against the unprocessed cop located on a supporting surface 196 at K and moves this cop into the readying position K while simultaneously pushing the previously processed cop into a chute 119a (FIGS. 12, from which the cop drops into the vacant trough 7a of the feeder conveyor 7. At the same time, the readying device 6 commences processing the cop now located in the readying position K and thus prepares this cop for subsequent issuance to the feeder conveyor. Consequently, the readying station enters into operation and completes the processing of a spinning cop only when the feeler 9 ascertains a vacancy in the trough 7a just arriving at the readying station. On the other hand, if the conveyor trough 7a is occupied, the feeler 9 cannot turn sufficiently far in the counterclockwise sense, and the readying station remains inactive.

Each individual winding station mounted on the machine frame structure 11 comprises a frame structure 12 (FIG. 2) pivotally mounted at 12:: on which the take-up spool 13 is journalled. The yarn F coming from the supply coil K passes through a tensioner 18 and thence over a guiding drum 14 (FIGS. 2, 1) onto the take-up spool 13. The take-up spool 13 rests against the guiding drum 1'4 and due to the 'weight of the frame structure 12 as well as the weight of the spool 13 itself, is frictionally entrained by the drum 14 to rotate at constant peripheral speed while the yarn F, passing through a guiding groove of drum 14, is reciprocated along the take-up spool in order to form the desired cross-wound yarn package. The operation of such yarn winding machines relative to coil exchange, yarn seizing and knotting, and other features is described in copending applications Serial No. 764,882, filed October 2, 1958, now Patent No. 2,994,491; Serial No. 728,139, filed April 14, 1958; and Serial No. 795,151, filed February 24, 1959. However, the following brief description is presented for a better understanding of the present invention.

Each winding station is provided with two yarn-seeker members 15 and 16 which, in the even of yarn breakage or after depletion of a supply coil, seek and seize the respective yarn ends coming from the take-up spool and from the supply coil for the purpose of bringing these two ends to a tying device or knotter 17 where they are tied together. The seeker member 15 is essentially a suction tube which is pivoted at 15a and has a nozzle opening extending at 15b along the take-up spool 13. In the event of yarn breakage or supply-coil depletion, a yarn feeler (not shown), normally engaging the yarn F, will deflect and thus cause the guiding drum 14 and the spool 13 to be stopped or to be rotated to a slight extent in the unwinding direction of spool 13. At the same time, the member 15 is connected with a source of suction so that the nozzle at 15b seizes the yarn end which then enters into the nozzle opening. Thereafter, the suction member 15 turns downwardly about its pivot 15a along the circular path denoted by 150. As a result, the yarn end coming from the take-up spool 13 is placed against the knotter 17.

The seeker member 16 is pivoted at 16a and consists likewise of a hollow suction member. In the event of yarn breakage, the member 16 turns clockwise along the circular path denoted by so that its nozzle opening 16b enters into the path of the yarn extending from the supply cop K; to the tensioner 18. The yarn end is then seized by suction, and the member 16 turns upwardly along path 160 thus placing the yarn end against the knotter 17 which thereafter ties both yarn ends together, before the winding of supply spool 13 is continued.

During the above-described operations, the supply coil K is held on a spear or mandrel 19 (FIG. 2). The mandrel is mounted on a shaft 19a by means of which it can be rotated from the illustrated full-line position of cop K; to a donning position where the mandrel 19 extends parallel to a trough-shaped slideway 23, or to a dofling position in which an empty core C can be removed from the mandrel by means of a doffer member 21. The mandrel 19 reaches the dofling position only after a sensing member (not shown) has responded to absence of yarn between the supply cop and the tensioner 18, thus signaling that the supply coil is exhausted. In the dofiing position, the dotfer member 21, when turning counterclockwise about its axis 21a ejects the empty core C from the mandrel. The core then drops in the direction of the arrow A onto a conveyor belt 22 which eliminates the empty cores or depleted coils from the machine. Firmly connected with the shaft 19a of the coil-holding mandrel is a conveying lever 20 which, in the event of a cop exchange, serves to hold the yarn end of an incoming new cop and to move that end into the path 161: of the yarn seeker member 16 which thereafter passes the yarn end toward the knotter 17 as described above.

The above-mentioned trough-shaped slide 23 is upwardly extended by a trough-shaped slideway 25 upon which a new supply cop K is kept ready. The cop on slideway 25, however, is normally stopped by a latch 24. During coil-exchanging operation, the latch 24 is moved downwardly thus permitting the cop to slide from position K on slideway 25 downward to the positon K on the now vacant mandrel 19, whereafter the mandrel 19 is turned upwardly to place the cop into the unwinding position K The latch 24 is actuated by a linking rod 411 which engages an elongated slot 26 of an arm 27 firmly joined with shaft 19a. When the mandrel 19 is turned toward the left for ejecting an empty core C in the above-described manner, the latch 24 must remain in the illustrated active condition. During such operation, therefore, the end of linking rod 40 glides inactively in the slot 26. However, when the mandrel shaft 19a, together wtih arm 27, moves clockwise toward the right and thus places the mandrel 19 in receiving condition, the rod 40 is entrained by arm 27 and releases the latch 24 so that the next cop K can glide from the upper trough 25 through the lower trough 23 and thus onto the mandrel 19. During return of the latch 24 into closing position, a spring 28 assists in raising the latch 24 and urging it into cop-restraining position.

Located beneath the linking rod 40 is a rocker arm 29 which is continually reciprocated about its pivot axis 29a corresponding to the rocker shaft of the winding machine and, acting through another linking rod 45, continuously reciprocates the driving arm 7% (FIGS. 2, 4) of a rotatable suction tube 30. The driving arm 70 is connected wtih the suction tube 36 through clutch members 66, 67, 68 (FIG. 4) which cause entrainment of the suction tube 30 only when a yarn-seeking operation is to be performed, as will be more fully described below.

An angular lever with two arms 31 and 33 is pivoted at 31a (FIGS. 2, 4, near the upper end of the slide trough 25. A spring 32 biases the feeler arm 31 toward the position 31' shown by dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 5. However, as long as a cop is located at K in trough 25, the weight of the cop presses the arm 31 downwardly and the arm 33 toward the left, whereas after release of the cop K from trough 25 the spring 32 urges the arm 33 to turn into the nearly vertical position 33' indicated by a dot-and-dash line in FIG. 5. Two stops 34 land 35 limit the movement of respective arms 31 and 33. The arm 33 cooperates with the above-mentioned feeder conveyor 7 in the following manner.

As mentioned, the feeder conveyor 36 comprises an endless chain of individual members each of which forms or holds one of the troughs 7a. Each trough receives a single cop in an upright, nearly vertical position. Pivotally mounted at the lower end of each conveyor trough 7a is a closure member 39 (FIG. 2) which has a protruding nose 5t? engageable by the above-mentioned feeler arm 33 when arm 33 is in the upper position 33 (FIG. 5). The arm 33, when in position 33 and during travel of the feeder conveyor 7, then forces the closure member 39 toward the right (FIG. 2) so that the cop can drop from position K in the conveyor through 7a to the position K on the trough-shaped upper slideway 25. The tip of the coil or its upper portion then pushes against the feeler arm 31 and turns it downwardly. This moves the feeler arm 30 from the upper to the lower position so that it no longer remains engageable with the closure member 39. Consequently, as long as a cop is kept ready at K on the upper slideway 25, no further cop can be released from the feeder conveyor.

The performance of the releasing mechanism comprising the parts 33 and 39 in FIG. 2 operates in the same manner as the one described below with reference to FIG. 3. Each of parts 39 and 33 has respective inclined flanks which, when passing by each other, effect a turning motion of the part 39. This is illustrated as viewed from above in HG. 2a. Due to the travelling motion of the cops K or of the cop containers 7a, the shoulder of closure member 39 enters into engagement with part 33 and glides along the inclined flank 33a of the latter, so that the member 39 is deflected toward the right as viewed in FIG. 2a. This causes the part 39 to swing counterclockwise in the view of FIG. 2. I

After the cop has passed to position K on slideway 25, the suction tube 39, being continuously reciprocated about its pivot at Sila, places its nozzle opening repeatedly over the tip of the cop. As explained, a reserve winding is located on the tip. Under the action of the suction current rushing into the suction tube 30, the reserve winding is dissolved and the yarn end is entrained by the suction current and enters into the tube 30.

A yarn feeler 51 (FIG. 4) is slidably mounted in a guide 52 fastened to the suction tube 30. During reciprocation of the suction tube 36, the yarn feeler 51 swings up and down due to the action of a cam plate 54 whose cam groove 53 is engaged by a lug 51a formed by the rectangularly bent end of feeler 51. The cam plate 54 is movable about a pivot pin 55 which joins the cam plate through a link 56 with a lever 57. Lever 57 forms a hook 57a at one end and a pawl 58 at the other. A spring 59 pulls the pawl portion of lever 57 upwardly. The pawl 53 engages a ratchet 60 and turns it one sixth of one revolution each time the lever 57 moves toward the right.

Firmly joined with ratchet 6G is a cam disc 6?. with two cam recesses 61a. A follower pin 63 firmly connected with the slideway trough 25 and pivoted at 64 can enter into each of the cam recesses 61a, the engagement of follower pin 63 with cam disc 51 being maintained by the weight of the trough structure 25. After the follower pin 63 has dropped into one of the recesses 61a, the next following switching step of ratchet 60 returns the structure 25 back to its upper position due to the fact that the pin 63 now rides along the slanting portion of the recess 61a back onto the circular portion of cam disc 61.

The hook 57:: (FIG. 4) is adjacent to cam slot 53 and can be entrained by the lug 51a of yarn guard 51 only when the lug reaches the lower quarter of the cam slot. That is, as long as a length of yarn extends from the cop K into the suction tube 34 the yarn guard 51 can move freely only within its upper three-quarters of length. Further downward motion of the yarn guard 51 is stopped by the yarn. Hence, the cam plate 54 remains lifted about its pivot point 55 in opposition to the spring 49. Under such conditions, the lug 51a does not reach the hook 57a and cannot entrain the lever 57. On the other hand, when there is no yarn extending from the cop K into the suction tube Sil, the yarn guide 51 can move downward a further extent, and its lug 51a reaches the hook 57a thus entraining the lever 57 downwardly and toward the right. The pawl 58 then switches the ratchet 60 one step forward, i.e. counterclockwise (FIG. 4). During the first switching step, the trough structure 25 remains in the illustrated raised position (FIG. 4) because the follower pin 63 still rides on the circular periphery of cam 61. However, during the next following switching step and hence during the next following yarn-seeking operation of suction tube 30, the pin 53 may drop into the recess 61a if at that time no yarn end has been found and seized by the suction current of tube 35 In other words, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the yarn-seeking mechanism attempts twice to locate and seize the yarn end, but if the yarn end has not been seized after the second attempt, the mechanism performs a third step during which the slide trough 25 is pivoted downwardly about its pivot 64, thus permitting the cop to drop from slideway 25 into a collecting box '75 (FIG. 2).

As mentioned above, when the yarn end from the cop K on slideway structure 25 has been properly seized by the suction tube 3% the yarn guard 51 cannot move downwardly a sufiicient extent to have its lug 51a engage the hook 57a of pawl lever 57. Then, however, the lug 51a abuts against a switching lever 66 which is pivotally mounted at 6'7 and extends from the pivot upwardly to shortly above the normal position of the hook 57a. Pivot 67 is a pin firmly mounted on the suction tube 3%. When lever 66 turns clockwise about this pivot 67 under the action of lug 51a, it entrains a latch piston as in opposition to the force of the biasing spring 69. As a result, the suction tube 39 is uncoupled from the hub portion of the continuously reciprocating drive member '79 so that the suction tube 30 remains at rest in a position where it is turned clockwise away from the cop K The yarn-seeking operation of tube 33 is now discontinued because the yarn has been properly found and seized so that further activity is needed only after the cop is called upon to slide from structure 25 onto the coil-holder mandrel 19 (FIG. 2).

After the winding station has performed a coil-exchanging operation and the cop passing from slideway 25 over slideway 23 onto the mandrel 19 has been turned counterclockwise into the unwinding position shown at K in FIG. 2, the double-armed lever 31/ 33 is no longer subject to the weight of the cop so that arm 31 moves upwardly into the position 31' (FIG. 5), and arm 33 moves to position 33'. As a result, a new cop can be released from the holder troughs 7a of the feeder conveyor 7 to pass onto the upper slideway structure 25. This again turns the lever arm 31 downwardly.

Linked to the lever arm 33 is a rod 72 (FIG. 4) to which an entrainer pin 73 is attached. The entrainer 73 can abut against a nose 74 mounted on the suction tube 36, such engagement coming about when the suction tube 30 is in the above-mentioned position away from the slide structure 25. As a result, when the arm 33 turns counterclockwise due to a new cop passing to the position K (FIG. 2), the entrainer 73 returns the suction tube 30 toward the cop K Since, in the meantime, the yarn ends have been knotted together in the winding station and any residual end that may still remain within the suction tube 31) has been cut off by cutter 117 (FIGS. 1013) and is sucked away by the suction current, the nozzle opening of the suction tube 30 is again free for continued operation. Simultaneously, the return movement of suction tube 30 effected by entrainer 7 permits the latch piston 68 to snap into the mating bore of the driving structure 70. This occurs during the next swinging motion of the linking rod 45 (FIGS. 2, 4) so that the suction tube 30 is again coupled with the driving arm 71) and performs a reciprocating motion with rocker arm 29. The yarn-seeking operation commences anew, and as soon as the yarn end is found and seized by the suction tube, this tube is again placed into inactive condition as described above.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 is substantially similar to that described above with reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, except that the feeler arm 31, 33 is substituted by a feeler 41 which is pivoted at 46 to the frame structure 11 of the machine and is actuated by the individual chain members of the feeder conveyor 7. Each trough 7a of the feeder conveyor is provided with a nose 44 which presses upon a nose-engaging feeler lever 43 as the individual conveyor trough 7a passes by a winding station. The resulting motion of feeler lever 43 is transferred through a spring 76 upon a rod 42 which is connected through an arm 77 with the feeler 41. When a cop is located in position K upon the upper slide 25, the feeler 41 cannot follow the swinging movement of the nose-engaging feeler lever 43 so that the spring 76 becomes stressed by the movement of lever 43. However, when no coil is located at K in the trough-shaped slide 25, the motion of feeler lever 43 causes the rod 42 to displace a stop collar 47 toward the right which then engages the nose 50 of the closure member 39, thus opening the closure member and releasing a new cop from its position K on the feeder conveyor. The cop then passes to position K on slide structure 25.

The rod 42 (FIG. 3), together with the stop collar 47 attached thereto, has the tendency to reciprocate horizontally back and forth under the action of the lever 43. During this reciprocation, the stop 47 hits against the shoulder of the shoe-shaped part 39 and turns the part 39 counterclockwise so that the cop K can glide down if no cop K is present. However, when there is a cop K in the illustrated position of FIG. 3, then the arm 41 prevents the swinging or reciprocation of the rod 42. Stop collar 47 therefore cannot move the closure member 39 and the swinging action of feeler lever 43 is taken up by the spring 76. The swinging motion of lever 43 is performed by inclined planes against which the lower end of the nose 44 will strike. This operation is apparent from FIG. 3a, which shows the parts 43 and 44 as viewed from above. The nose 44 has individual portions protruding downwardly into the range of the lever 43 and when the inclined flanks enter into abutment, the lever 43 is forced outwardly so that it can turn counterclockwise about its pivot point, illustrated in FIG. 3.

The structure of lever 43 is more clearly illustrated in the perspective view of FIG. 3b. Due to the fact that the projecting portions or dogs of part 44 strike against the horizontal portion of the lever 43, this latter lever is turned toward the left in the direction of the arrow A (FIG. 3b). In this view, the pivot axes are denoted by S. The spring 76 causes not only the motion of lever 43 when a cop is located in position K but also causes the lever 43 to turn clockwise in the reverse direction about axis S, so that this lever 43 can be actuated when the next cop K passes by. The individual projections 44 which cause the lever 43 to turn counterclockwise in FIG. 3 are so arranged that a turning motion of lever 43 can take place only when a cop K is located above the trough 25.

The particular details :of the readying device used for forming a reserve winding on the tip of the spinning cops are not essential to the present invention proper. Different types of such devices are applicable, for instance those illustrated and described in the above-mentioned two copending applications Serial No. 750,373 and Serial No. 750,381. The device illustrated in FIG. 1 and more fully described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13 is in accordance with the one disclosed and claimed in the above-mentioned copending application Serial No. 750,- 373 to which, if desired, reference may be had for further details.

As described above with reference to FIG. 1, the individual spinning cops, as they come in containers 4 from the spinning machine, drop through a chute 5 into the readying station 6 of the winding machine where they are supported by a holder sheet 106 (FIG. 12). The cop located in position K on sheet 106 lies opposite the pusher 10 which is linked to an actuating lever 107 con trolled by a cam disc 198 (-FIG. 13) driven by a motor 1119. Mounted on the shaft of cam disc 108 is another cam disc 111} which actuates an electric reversing switch 111. Switch 111 operates to energize an electric motor 112 to run in one or the other direction. Motor 112 drives a pair of rollers 114, through spur gears 113. When the pusher 1t), actuated by cam disc 108, cam follower 2197 and lever 107, moves toward the right (FIGS. 1, 12), it shifts the cop from the position K to position K on top of the pair of rollers 114, 115.

Located between rollers 114 and 115 is an elongated slot nozzle 116 (FIGS. 9 to 13). The length of the nozzle slot is approximately equal to the length of the cop. Mounted near the lower end of the slot nozzle is a scissors-type cutter 117. The cutter is controlled by another cam disc 126 concentrically joined with the cams 108 and 110.

As explained, each cop has a tubular core C (FIG. 6) with a foot portion H of larger diameter at one end and a tip portion T at the other end. Located at the side of the foot, opposite the pair of rollers 114 and 115, is a displaceable tubular nozzle member 118 whose nozzle opening can be moved toward and over the foot of the cop K located on rollers 114, 115. A feeler roller 119 (FIG. 9), journ-alled on the tubular nozzle member 118, maintains a given minimum spacing between the nozzle opening of member 118 and the cop K The tubular member 11 8 and the slot nozzle 116 communicate with a suction conduit 120' (FIGS. 9, 10, 11). A flap valve 121 pivoted at 121' and actuable by means of an arm 122, selectively connects either the tubular member 118 (FIG. 9) or the slot nozzle 116 (FIG. 10) with a source of negative pressure (not shown). The movement of flap 121 takes place simultaneously with the tilting movement of tubular member 118.

FIG. 15 is -a view from the right of FIG. 12. At the top is apparent the cop K This is the one cop which has already been pushed out from the position K between rollers 114, 115 by the subsequent cop K and which has now reached the upper portion of the chute 10a. The rear end of the cop drops from position K at first very steeply, while the front end turns about the abutment 130. In this illustration also, the slide is shown cut open. However, as can be recognized by a comparison of all the figures, the chute 10a is in reality closed on all sides. The cop K is actually located behind the plane of illustration of FIG. 15, and cop K is located in front of the plane of illustration, as indicated 1 by section lines XVXV in sketch II of FIG. 12. In other words, the parts shown in FIG. 15 are not, in reality, located exactly in a single plane, the illustnation of FIG. 15 being used only for explanatory purposes. Numeral 131 in FIGS. 13 and 15 denotes the driving gear mounted on shaft 38 for driving the conveyor belt 7.

In FIG. 13, the chute 14in is also shown cut open. Also shown are feeler levers 9 and 91 which check whether a trough 7a is empty or filled. The lever 9 is movable about the point 9a and senses the trough as to whether it is vacant or filled. If no coil is located in a particular trough 7a, the contacts 8% and 31 are closed under the action of spring 82. Since these contacts 8%), 31 would also be closed while feeler 9 was in the intermediate spaces between the individual successive troughs "in, another feeler lever 91. is provided, pivotally movable about axis 910. The lever 91 is actuated by a stop 93 arranged on each trough 7a. The stop 93 turns the lever 91 clockwise about pivot axis 91a and against the force of spring 94 to close the contacts 95, 96. The circuit from the current source 83 through the lever 9, the contacts 8%, and 81, the contacts 96 and 95, the lever 91, and the magnet 84, can thus be closed, but only if:

(1) A trough 7a is located directly beneath the chute lila and (2) No coil is located in this trough 7a.

When the magnet 84- (PIG. 13) is excited, it pulls its armature 85 toward the left. The armature 85 is connected with a double lever 86 which is biased by a spring 87 and thus tends to turn toward the right in the clockwise direction. The lower end Sea of this lever engages a cam disc 88 mounted fixedly on a shaft 89 together with the cam discs 8 8, 114} and 126. The shaft 89 surrounds a shaft 99 and is rotatable on shaft 90.

The shaft 90 is fixedly connected with the driving spur gear 97 which meshes with the pinion 98 of motor 199. Also fixed on the shaft 99 is the gear 133. The motor 189 runs continuously and through gears 98, 97, drives the shaft 99, the gear 133, and, through a chain drive from gear 133, drives the gear 132 which drives the conveyor belt 7. Consequently, the conveyor belt 7 travels continuously as long as the machine is in operation. The shaft 89 and the shaft 96 are intercoupled by a friction clutch 99 which is rigidly connected with the hollow shaft 89 and is pressed by the action of the spring 100 against the spur gear 97 fixedly mounted on the shaft 99. The strength of the spring 16%, therefore, determines the driving force which is transmitted through the friction clutch 99.

As long as the magnet 34 is not energized and the arm 86 is turned clockwise by spring 87, it blocks the cam disc 88 by engaging the corresponding cam lobe. Consequently, the hollow shaft 89' cannot turn, so that the entire exchanging operation for the coils cannot be initiated. Only when the feeler levers 9 and 91 indicate that a new coil is to be placed into the troughs 7a, will the lever arm 86 be turned counterclockwise by the action of magnet 84 on armature 85 to thereby release the cam disc 88. The cam disc 83 can then be rotated from motor 169 by the action of the friction clutch 99 and the hollow shaft 89, and will rotate together with cam discs 110, 188 and 126.

In the above-explained manner, the coil-exchanging operation is initiated in dependence upon filling of the trough 7a. The troughs 7a are arranged on and carried with the conveyor belt 7. However, there is no empty space between the individual troughs 7a. This space is rather filled by flag or vane-shaped members '71) (FIGS. 13, 16) which are arranged at the upper edge of the trough and which cover the intermediate space between the individual troughs above the conveyor belt. This makes it unnecessary to ascertain that a cop will issue out of the chute 143a only when a trough 7a is located beneath the opening of the slideway a; but a coil may 12 also be issued when no trough is located beneath this location. In this case, the coil glides on the flag-shaped appendage 7.5 between the troughs 7a and is then guided into the next following trough 7a. If the next following trough, bychance, is filled, the coil can glide over the one already located in the trough and then be held in position until a vacant trough 7a arrives beneath the chute 10a.

FIG. 16 illustrates the passage of the cops from the chute 1% to the transporting troughs 7a. This figure is a longitudinal section taken through the slideway trough 13m and also shows the conveyor belt 7 with the individual troughs 7a as well as the flag-shaped appendages 7b. The position K of the cop in FIG. 16 essentially corresponds to position K of the cop in FIG. 12. The trough 7a located farthest toward the left in FIG. 16 shows clearly that the cop, after it has dropped through the slideway lttia, need not necessarily drop immediately into the trough 7a, but may also become located, for example, upon the flags 7b. Due to the fact that the belt 7 travels continuously, the cop will then shortly glide into one of the troughs 7a. The outlet edge from the chute in is denoted by 1% as in PEG. l2. Numeral Mic denotes the bent-away portion of the upper slideway cover which prevents the cop K from rolling along the conveyor belt '7. The slideway 16a in FIG. 13 is illustrated as cut open, similar to the representation in FIG. 12 and PEG. 15, in order not to obscure the trough with the feelers 9 and 91.

As above explained, the conveyor belt 7 travels continuously. That is, the belt is not arrested at the point where the coils are supplied, nor is it arrested at the point where the coils are issued to the individual winding stations. The exchange of the coils onto the belt and away from the belt takes place during continuous travel of the belt.

The connection between the feelers 9 or 91 and the driving mechanism of feeler 13 is illustrated in FIG. 13, The conveyor belt 7 runs continuously, irrespective of whether a coil is supplied or taken off. The supply and discharge of the co' s takes place during such continuous travel of the belt, and the feelers 9 and 91 merely control the coil-exchanging operation. The coil-exchanging operation, involving emptying of one of the pockets 7a of the belt at a particular winding station, is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. These operations take place during the continuous travel of the belt. The control mechanism for the operation of the preparatory machine is shown in FIG. 13. The motor 1629 continuously drives the conveyor belt 7 through gears 133 and 132, whereas the cam discs 198, 126, 11!} are driven through the friction clutch only if the hollow shaft 89 can be entrained by the slip clutch 99 through actuation of the magnet 34-.

The readying device 6 operates as follows:

When starting the operation of the device, the motor 169 (FIG. 13) is energized. Operating through a spur gear transmission, motor 109 drives the cam discs 108, 126 and 119, which are mounted on a common cam shaft. The same drive, acting through a chain transmission 132, 133, drives shaft 38 of the feeder device 7 and members 39 of the dispensing device.

The cops K coming from the magazine 4 (FIG. 1) first pass onto the holder sheet 206 whence they are displaced by pusher 10 into position K on rollers 114, 115. The rotating set of cams 108, 110, 126 actuates the controlling components. The cam 11% actuates the control lever 111 which at first turns clockwise and controls motor 112 to run in one direction by actuation of the contact pair 204. After elapse of a certain time, rotation of cam causes the lever 111 to actuate the contact pair to make the motor run in the other direction. The earn 126 cooperates with the follower lever 266. The cam 1% operates with the follower lever 107 which, in the view of FIGURE 1a, coincides with the lever 206. The lever 207 is mounted on a hollow shaft 218 coaxial with shaft 224. The lever 2% is mounted on the solid shaft 224. Fastened to the end of the hollow shaft 218 is the pusher arm 1107 upon which is mounted pusher 10. Fastened to the end of the shaft 124 is the angular lever 227. Also fastened to the shaft 224 is one arm of the scissors-type cutter 117. The scissors 117 are formed by two blades 211 and 212 (FIG. 1a). The blade 212 is firmly connected with the cutter arm 117. The other blade 211 is linked to the bolt or pin 213 and is also pivotally linked to 211 with the rod 225 whose other end is rotatably mounted at 214 (-FIG. by means of a lug on the machine frame structure. When the scissors 117, by rotation of the cam disc 126, are turned to the left on shaft 224 (#FIG. la) by lifting of the follower lever 296 with the arm 1117, the connecting rod 225 is entrained and also pivots about 214. However, the length of this rod 225 is so dimensioned, relative to the length of the scissors arm 117, that it pulls the blade 211 on the right-hand side downwardly, with the result that the scissors will close on the left side during the turning motion of the arm 117. Since during operation, the yarn extends between supply coil K and suction tube 118', the yarn is cut off by the closing of the scissors 117.

The angular lever 227 (FIGS. 1a, 10, 13) rotates with shaft 224 together with the motion of the scissors arrn 117. This rotation is transmitted by the rod 228 to the suction tube 118 which moves away from the coil and thus vacates the space between the coil and suction tube for the inward turning motion of the scissors blades 211, 212. The turning motion of lever 227 is also transmitted by the rod 229 to the lever 231 (FIGS. 10, 13). The lever 231 has a slanting position, as is particularly apparent from FIG. 10. For that reason, the lever 23 1 is visible in the lateral view according to FIG. 1a as well as in the top view according to FIG. 13 in form of an angular structure. When the lever 231 is entrained by the rod 229, the rod transmits its motion to the control arm of bell-crank lever 231 which is linked through rod 230 with the arm 122 of flap 121. Since this rod 230 also has a slanting position, it likewise appears in both FIGS. 1a and 13 at respectively different lengths.

During rotation of the cam discs 1%, 126, 110, the follower lever 207, cooperating with the cam 168, is lifted when the machine operation is about to be terminated. Consequently, the hollow shaft 218 entrains the am 107 with its pusher 10 and thereby shoves the coil K (FIG. 1) located in the trough 206 toward the left (FIG. 1a). This coil displaces the coil K on the rollers 114 and 115 to the left so that the coil K rolls onto position K of the dispensing device 163 and thus is conveyed away.

In cooperation with the rotation of the cams 163, 126, 119, the forward or return run of the motor 112 is effected by the contacts 104 and 1115 (-FIG. 13). That is, as soon as a new coil is placed by the pusher 11) of arm 1157 upon the drive rollers 114, 115, the motor 112 runs in such a direction that the coil K is driven in a direction opposed to that of its yarn turns. At the same time, however, the suction nozzle 118 is moved in the direction of the coil axis so that it places itself over the coil foot as shown in FIG. 9. The cam mechanism moves the tubular nozzle member 1 18 from below into the vicinity of the cop foot and simultaneously connects the nozzle member 118 with the source of suction air 12%. Under the effect of the suction current, the yarn originally contained in form of a reserve winding I with an end L (FIG. 7) of the foot H of the cop is pulled off axially, and a portion of the immediately adjacent steeply pitched turns G (FIG. 7) of yarn on the surface of the cop is also unwound and pulled off. The dissolution of this reserve winding on the foot, just described, requires only very little time. It can be terminated while the suction nozzle 118 is still approaching. Thereafter,

the scissors 1 17 (FIG. 10) is turned inwardly about the axis of shaft 224 (FIG. 1a), and the excess yarn end is cut OE, and is removed by the suction current. The cop K is further rotated in the came direction, and the angular levers 227 and 231 are moved together with the turning in movement of the scissors. This motion is transmitted by the rod 234 to close the fiap 121 (FIG. 10) so that the suction air from 120 can no longer act at suction tube 118, but will now act at suction tube 116 upon the cop.

Further rotation of cam 11% operates the switch 111 to close contacts 194 so as to energize the drive motor 112 and thus also rollers 114, 115 in a reverse direction, with the effect that the cop, in position K on rollers 114 and 115, is turned in the unwinding direction. During such reversed or unwinding rotating motion, the yarn end G (FIG. 7) is sucked away through and now, after dissolution of the turns, passes to the cop tip with a large angle of pitch. Simultaneously, as above mentioned, the valve flap 121 connects the slot nozzle 116 with the source of suction 121) and disconnects the tubular nozzle member 11 3. Now, the yarn end located at the slot of nozzle 116 is pulled into the nozzle (FIG. 10). The roller pair 114, 115 performs only a given number of rotations corresponding to a predetermined length of yarn to be wound off. As a result, just as much yarn is unwound as is required for the fonmation of a reserve winding N on the tip of the cop. The cam shape of the set of cams determines the period of time during which contacts 1114 remain closed, and thus determines how long the cop is driven in the unwinding direction. After elapse of this period, contacts 105 are again closed and the cop on rollers 114, 115 is turned forward, i.e. in the winding-up direction. The yarn places itself against the most rearward edge of the suction tube 116. Located opposite and aligned with this edge is the tip of the cop core K (FIG. 10) which is vacant for receiving the tipbunch reserve winding N (FIG. 8). The switch 111 is again actuated by rotation of earn 111} to close contacts and thus reverses the motor 112 to now turn the cop K in the winding-up sense. During this subsequent winding-up operation, the yarn pulled into and retained in the suction tube 121 is again withdrawn and wound up to form the reserve winding N on the core tip.

During the rewinding operation, the yarn end remains at the right-hand end of the suction nozzle 116 (FIG. 10). Consequently, the unwound length of yarn is now wound up only at the tip of the cop to form the tip-bunch reserve winding N (FIG. 11). The processing is terminated with the completion of the reserve winding.

in the meantime, another cop has passed from the magazine into position K The next following actuation of the pusher 1i displaces the new cop K toward the roller pair 114, 115 and thus also moves the fully processed cop from position K into the chute 10a (FIG. 12). The cop then drops through the chute with its tip temporarily re tained by a stop 139 (FIG. 12). As a result, the cop will properly drop into the adjacent holder trough 7a (FIG. 13) of the feeder conveyor 7. The driving gear 131 of the feeder conveyor has its shaft provided with a sprocket 132 which, by means of an endless chain, drives a sprocket 153 on the shaft of the control cams 11 1, 126 and 108.

As explained above, a single complete operating cycle of the readying device is initiated by the feeler lever 9 described ahove with reference to FIG. 1. Consequently, a readied cop is released onto the feeder conveyor 7 and another cop is processed in the device each time the feeler 9 signals a vacancy in the conveyor trough 7a just arriving at the readying station.

The above-described drive of the cop in the reverse or unwinding direction for applying the tip bunch N need not necessarily coincide with the removal and sucking away of the winding I at the core foot. This drive may also commence at a later moment, namely only after the yarn is cut off by scissors 117. However, if the reverse winding takes place during the sucking-away operation,

the latter operation may be more favorable because the winding is unwound or dissolved more rapidly. After forming the winding N on the tip, the processing of the particular cop is terminated. Now the exchan e by pushing the cop K away through position K K to K (FIGS. 12, and entering of a new cop from K takes place as described, the latter operation being effected by means of the pusher lever 1%7 (FIG. 1:1).

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art, upon a study of this disclosure, that our invention permits of various modifications and may be applied in conjunction with coil winding machines of various types, thus lending itself to being embodied in machinery other than that particularly illustrated and described herein, without departing from the essential features of our invention and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

We claim:

1. A yarn-package winding machine comprising a multiplicity of winding stations each having take-up winder means, a supply-coil holder, coil-exchanging means for substituting a depleted coil by a new coil on said holder, a knotter for tying the yarn end of a new coil to the yarn end of said take-up winder means, and yarn end seizing means for passing said yarn end to said knotter; a coilreadying device common to a number of said winding stations and havin coil-supply means and coil-supporting structure for accommodating one coil at a time received from said supply means, said readying device having winding means disposed in active relation to the coil on said supporting structure for removing from the coil an end portion of yarn and winding said end portion at a given coil location back onto the coil to form a yarn reserve for subsequent seizing and knotting operations in said Winding stations; and a feeder conveyor extending from said readying device along said winding stations for replenishing said respective holders with readied supply coils from said conveying means.

2. A yarn-package Winding machine, comprising a winding station having take-up winder means, a supplycoil holder, coil-exchanging means for substituting a depleted coil by a new coil on said holder, a knotter for tying the yarn end of a new coil to the yarn end of said take-up winder means, and yarn-end seizing means for passing said yarn end to said knotter; coil supply means; a readying device disposed between said supply means and said winding station to receive individual coils from said supply means, said readying device having winding means for producing a reserve winding on a given location of each coil received; coil conveyor means extending from said readying device to said winding station and having an endless series of coil accommodating locations, first sensing means responsive to vacancy of said respective locations and connected with said readying device for releasing a readied coil from said readying device to pass into said vacant conveyor location, and said winding station having second sensing means responsive to absence of a coil and connected with said conveyor means for releasing a coil from a filled one of said locations to pass into said station.

3. A yarn-package winding machine, comprising a muliplicity of winding stations each having take-up Winder means, a supply-coil holder, coil-exchanging means for substituting a depleted coil by a new coil on said holder, a knotted for tying the yarn end of a new coil to the yarn end of said take-up winder means, and yarn end seizing means for passing said yarn end to said knotter; a coilreadying device common to a number of said winding stations and having coil-supply means and coil-supporting structure for accommodating one coil at a time received from said supply means, said readying device having winding means disposed in active relation to the coil on said supporting structure for removing from the coil and end portion of yarn and winding said end portion at a given coil location back onto the coil to form a yarn reserve for subsequent seizing and knotting operations in one of said winding stations; an endless feeder conveyor extending along said reading device and along said winding stations,

i6 and having an endless series of coil-accommodating locations, sensing means responsive to vacancy of said respective locations and connected with said readying device for releasing a readied coil from said supporting structure to pass into said vacant conveyor location, and each of said winding stations having sensing means responsive to absence of a coil in said station and connected with said conveyor means for releasing a coil from a filled one of said locations onto said holder.

4. A yarnpackage winding machine, comprising a multiplicity of Winding stations each having take-up winder means, a supply-coil holder, coil-exchanging means for substituting a depleted coil by a new coil on said holder, a knotter for tying the yarn end of a new coil to the yarn end of said take-up winder means, and yarn end seizing means for passing said yatrn end to said knotter; a coilreadying device common to a number of said winding stations and having coil-supply means and a horizontal coil-supporting structure for accommodating one coil at a time received from said supply means, said supply means comprising a magazine adapted to receive a pile of supply coils in substantially horizontal positions respectively and having a chute for passing the coils individually onto said supporting structure; said readying device having winding means disposed in active relation to the coil on said supporting structure for removing from the coil an end portion of yarn and winding said end portion at a given coil location back onto the coil to form a yarn reserve for subsequent seizing and knotting operations in said winding stations; and a feeder conveyor extending from said readying device along said winding stations for replenishing said respective holders with readied supply coils from said conveying means.

5. A yarn-package winding machine, comprising a multiplicity of Winding stations each having take-up winder means, a supply-coil holder, coil-exchanging means for substituting a depleted coil by I21 new coil on said holder, a knotter for tying the yarn end of a new coil to the yarn end of said take-up Winder means, and yarn end seizing means for passing said yarn end to said knotter; a coilreadying device common to a number of said winding stations and having coil-supply means and winding means for producing a reserve winding on a given location of each coil received from said supply means; a feeder conveyor extending from said readying device along said winding stations for replenishing said respective holders with readied supply coils from said conveying means; each of said winding stations having a coil retaining structure for receiving a coil from said feeder conveyor, said retaining structure being disposed between said conveyor and said coil holder for accommodating a coil next to be placed upon said holder; each winding station having yarn-seeking means near said retaining structure for resolving and holding said reserve winding from the coil being retained.

6. A winding macln'ne according to claim 5, comprising a yarn-checking device located near said retaining structure and said yarn-seeking means and responsive to presence of yarn between said coil on said retaining structure and said seeking means, and releasing means engageable with said latter coil for dischmgin-g it from said retaining structure onto said holder, said checking device being connected with said releasing means for actuating it upon response of said checking device to presence of yarn.

7. A winding machine according to claim 5, comprising periodic drive means connected with said yarn-seeking means for repeatedly operating the latter, a yarn-checking device located near said retaining structure and said yatrnseeking means and responsive to presence of yarn between said coil on said retaining structure and said seeking means, said checking device being connected with said drive means for stopping the operation of said yarn-seek ing means when said checking device responds to presence of yarn.

8. A winding machine according to claim 5, comprising a periodic drive for repeatedly operating said yarnseeking means, control means for controlling said drive, said control means comprising a counting device for counting the number of operations of said seeking means, and a yarn checking device located near said retaining structure and said yarn-seeking means and responsive to presence of yarn between said coil :on said retaining structure and sm'd seeking means, said checking device forming part of said control means for causing it to stop further yarn-seeking operation of said seeking means when said checking device responds to absence of yarn after a given number of yarn-seehng operations determined by said counting device.

9. A winding machine according to claim 5, comprising coil-discarding means operatively associated with said retaining structure for eliminating a faulty coil from said retaining structure to keep it away from said holder; a yarn-checking device located near said retaining structure and said yarn-seeking means and responsive to presence of yarn between said coil on said retaining structure and said seeking means; and control means connecting said checking device to said coil-discharging means for actuating the latter when a given number of operations of said yarnseeking means fads to make said checkin device respond to presence of yarn.

10. In a winding machine according to claim 2, said coil-exchanging means having a movable doffer member near said holder and engageable with a coil on said holder for dofling said coil when depleted, a retainer structure disposed between said conveyor means and said holder for accommodating a coil received from said conveyor means and next to be placed onto said holder, latch means for holding the coil on said retainer structure, and connecting means joining said doifer means with said latch means for releasing the coil from said retainer structure to pass onto said holder when the latter is vacated by said dotfer member.

11. In a winding machine according to claim 10, said second sensing means being located at said retainer structure and engageable by the coil on said retainer structure so as to respond to departure of the coil from said retainer structure, whereby a new coil is released from said conveyor means to pass onto said retainer structure after operation of said doffer member.

12. A yarn-package winding machine, comprising a winding station having take-up winder means, a holder for accommodating a yarn-supply coil, coil-exchanging means for substituting a full coil for a depleted coil on said holder, a feeder conveyor for supplying full coils to said station, said coil-exchanging means having a movable doffer member near said holder and engageable with a coil on said holder for dofiing said coil when depleted, a retainer structure disposed between said conveyor means and said holder for accommodating a coil received from said conveyor means and next to be placed onto said holder, latch means for holding the coil on said retainer structure, and connecting means joining said dofier member with said latch means for releasing the coil from said retainer structure to pass onto said holder when the latter is vacated by said dotfer member, and feeler means located at said retainer structure and engageable by the coil on said retainer structure and responsive to the weight of the coil so as to be displaced by departure of the coil from said retainer structure, and means operatively connecting said feeler means with said feeder conveyor for releasing a full coil from said conveyor to pass onto said retainer structure.

13. A yarn-package winding machine, comprising a winding station having take-up winder means, a holder for accommodating a yarn-supply coil, coil-exchanging means for substituting a full coil for a depleted coil on said holder, a feeder conveyor for supplying full coils to said station, said coil-exchanging means having a movable dofi'er member near said holder and engageable with a coil on said holder for doiiing said coil when depleted, a retainer structure disposed between said conveyor means and said holder for accommodating a coil received from said conveyor means and next to be placed onto said holder, latch means for holding the coil on said retainer structure, said latch means being connected with said dofier member for releasing the coil from said retainer structure to pass onto said holder when the latter is vacated by said doir'er member, a feeler lever located at said retainer structure and engageable by the coil on said retainer structure and responsive to the weight of the coil so as to be displaced by departure of the coil from said retainer structure, said feeler lever being operatively connected with said feeder conveyor for releasing therefrom a full coil to pass onto said retainer structure.

14. A yarn-package winding machine, comprising a winding station having take-up winder means, a supplycoil holder, coil-exchanging means for substituting a depleted coil by a new coil on said holder, a knotter for tying the yarn end of a new coil to the yarn end of said take-up winder means, and yarn-end seizing means for passing said yarn end to said ltnotter; a feeder conveyor for supplying full coils to said station; said coil-exchanging means having a movable dofier member near said holder and engageable with a coil on said holder for dofiing said coil when depleted, a retainer structure disposed between said conveyor means and said holder for accommodating a coil received from said conveyor means and next to be placed onto said holder; control means connected with said dofier member for causing the coil to pass from said retainer structure onto holder when said holder is vacated by said dofier member, feeler means located at said retainer structure and engageable by the coil on said retainer structure and responsive to the weight of the coil so as to be displaced by departure of the coil said retainer structure, and means operatively connecting said feeler means with said feeder conveyor for releasing a full coil from said conveyor to pass onto said retainer structure, and yarn-seeking means in coactive relation to the coil located on said retainer structure for seizing the yarn end of the coil whereby a length of yarn is laid in ready position when the coil passes from said retainer structure onto said holder; and said yarn-end seizing means being engageable with said length of yarn for passing it to said knotter.

15. In a winding machine according to claim 14, said yarn-seeking means at said retainer structure comprising a suction nozzle member reciprocable toward and away from the tip of the coil for seizing the yarn end of the coil, a periodic drive connected with said nozzle member, and yarn feeler means engageable with the yarn end when seized by said nozzle member and controllingly connected with said drive for stopping the reciprocating travel of said nozzle member.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A YARN-PACKAGE WINDING MACHINE COMPRISING A MULTIPLICITY OF WINDING STATIONS EACH HAVING TAKE-UP WINDER MEANS, A SUPPLY-COIL HOLDER, COIL-EXCHANGING MEANS FOR SUBSTITUTING A DEPLETED COIL BY A NEW COIL ON SAID HOLDER, A KNOTTER FOR TYING THE YARN END OF A NEW COIL TO THE YARN END OF SAID TAKE-UP WINDER MEANS, AND YARN END SEIZING MEANS FOR PASSING SAID YARN END TO SAID KNOTTER; A COILREADYING DEVICE COMMON TO A NUMBER OF SAID WINDING STATIONS AND HAVING COIL-SUPPLY MEANS AND COIL-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR ACCOMMODATING ONE COIL AT A TIME RECEIVED FROM SAID SUPPLY MEANS, SAID READYING DEVICE HAVING WINDING MEANS DISPOSED IN ACTIVE RELATION TO THE COIL ON SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR REMOVING FROM THE COIL AN END PORTION OF YARN AND WINDING SAID END PORTION AT A GIVEN COIL LOCATION BACK ONTO THE COIL TO FORM A YARN RESERVE FOR SUBSEQUENT SEIZING AND KNOTTING OPERATIONS IN SAID WINDING STATIONS; AND A FEEDER CONVEYOR EXTENDING FROM SAID READYING DEVICE ALONG SAID WINDING STATIONS FOR REPLENISHING SAID RESPECTIVE HOLDERS WITH READIED SUPPLY COILS FROM SAID CONVEYING MEANS. 